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Salary Offers: Job Seekers Can Laugh or Cry

Negotiating salary or asking is a skill that few people master. Every job seeker should attempt to negotiate but it is more than salary that should be your focus.

Few are consistent in getting the results from his or her employer. Preparation, as in any hiring or review phase, is critical in the salary negotiation process, and only a thread divides success and failure. It can affect your emotions and at times, fear the result.

To prepare for this stressful but needed phase of negotiating salary your accomplishments need to be front and center. If your negotiating a raise with a current employer gather reports that establish success and workload. In either case detail is critical, if not, overwhelming. Include salary research from sites such as, Salary.com, Glassdoor.com, and The Riley Guide Salary Guides & Guidance. Proving with facts is half the battle, and quantifying your accomplishments will always make a compelling case.

Use the CNN Money Calculator if you are locating: http://cgi.money.cnn.com/tools/costofliving/costofliving.html)

The employer will likely consider the following:

· Level of the position

· Needed skills and experience (see: Great Demand for STEM Job Seekers Drives Up Pay)

· Career progression

· Fair market value

· Range of salary within the organization, industry, and region

· Economic conditions of the industry

· Company climate for raises and competitive salary

Now, having said that, you should NOT negotiate salary as the only means of satisfaction. There are a few other areas that should help you increase the value of your new job experience:

Vacation and time off (negotiate your upcoming time here—paid or unpaid)
Personal values (I have a lot to say about this soon)
Flex time
Work from home option?
Future raises (“If I exceed expectations…”)
Health insurance
Retirement plans
Bonuses and/or incentives
Tuition reimbursement (find out what degrees are eligible)
Stock options
Other insurance (dental, life, etc.)
Company car, laptop, or software
Health club membership
Professional memberships and certifications (Don’t assume the company pays!)
Relocation?

Do you regularly negotiate? What are your experiences? Please share in the comment section below.

About Mark Anthony Dyson

I am the "The Voice of Job Seekers!" I offer compassionate career and job search advice as I hack and re-imagine the job search process. You need to be "the prescription to an employer's job description." You must be solution-oriented and work in positions in companies where you are the remedy. Your job search must be a lifestyle, and your career must be in front of you constantly. You can no longer shed your aspirations at the change seasons. There are strengths you have that need constant use and development. Be sure you sign up to download my E-Book, "421 Modern Job Search Tips 2021!" You can find my career advice and work in media outlets such as Forbes, Inc., Fast Company, Harvard Business Review, Glassdoor, and many other outlets.

by Mark Anthony Dyson

Great Demand for STEM Job Seekers Drives Up Pay

Editor’s note: Bluefire PR wrote the article for today.

STEM careers are occupations in science, technology, engineering and mathematics. This includes biology, medicine, chemistry, physics, architecture, and computer science. As of June 18, there were 47,754 STEM job listings in New York City, almost 40,000 in Washington, D.C., and 30,000 in Silicone Valley. The total job listings in Forbes’ “10 Best Cities for STEM Jobs Right Now” is around 274,000.

Demand Increases Paychecks

It’s no surprise that STEM is popular in NYC, considering the number of big banks, accounting firms, venture capital firms and hedge funds, along with the groundbreaking science and medical research being conducted in the city. Demand for STEM job seekers has increased due to a limited supply of candidates. Because there are more positions available compared to the number of new graduate job seekers in the field, pay has been driven up.

Top-Paying STEM Jobs

● Petroleum Engineer: Develop methods for extracting oil and gas from the earth’s surface along with ways to extract oil and gas from old wells. Expected growth from 2010-2020 is 17 percent, according to the Bureau of Labor Statistics (BLS). The median pay for those with less than three years’ experience is just over $88,000.

● Nuclear Engineer: Measure, research and develop systems to benefit from nuclear energy and radiation. Often, they are responsible for finding uses for radioactive materials, such as those used in medical treatment. The pay for those with three years’ experience or less is $69,900.

● Marine Engineer: Work on marine mechanical systems like propulsion and steering. They also build, design and maintain sailboats, tankers, submarines, aircraft carriers, etc. Median pay is $62,200.

Other occupations that made Forbes “Top 10 Best-Paying STEM Jobs for Recent Grads” list are:

● Chemical Engineer

● Computer and Information Research Scientist

● Aerospace Engineer

● Marine Architect

● Nuclear Medicine Technologist

● Business Intelligence Analyst

● Software Developer, Systems Software

Search online for jobs available in these and other STEM-related fields. Most available jobs will have an online job application to facilitate your application.

Women in STEM

The Obama Administration has also taken interest in women job seekers in STEM careers. First Lady Michelle Obama stated in 2011 that to out-innovate and out-educate the rest of the world, we need all hands on deck. This means carving paths for women and helping them to navigate STEM careers. The Office of Science and Technology Policy says that women who work in a STEM industry can earn 33 percent more than women in other non-STEM fields. It’s a perfect time for girls and women to get into a STEM career, because companies want qualified women.

If you’re a woman who’s already in one of the STEM industries, finding a mentor and joining a professional organization like Society of Women Engineers or Association for Women in Mathematics can help you network.

The Future

An increasing number of high school students have expressed interest in STEM occupations. According to a study by STEMconnector, 24.8 percent of graduates in 2012 were intrigued by STEM jobs, while 27.9 percent of the class of 2016 are interested. The challenge that teachers are facing, though, is keeping students excited about these kinds of careers and finding a way to nurture their talents and guide them in the right direction.

About Mark Anthony Dyson

by Bianca Thompson

3 Job Seekers Surging to Re-emerging From Job Layoffs

Editor’s note: This is continued from Bianca’s article from last week. This should be quite inspiring for anyone, especially those who are struggling with finding hope.

I have three friends I want to share with you that were each terminated. Each job seeker had amazing responses to his or her termination. I’m sure they each had moments of sadness, but their overall response was amazing and full of fight.

The Warrior
Friend #1 had worked for a major communications company for over a decade in the IT profession. Her company outsourced her position to a new company to cut costs. She then had to train the new employees who eventually took her position once her new company terminated her position.

Basically, she made too much money, and her position was outsourced for cheaper labor. It happens all the time. After the shock, she came out fighting like a warrior from the movie “300”. She explored her passions for helping others and became a certified life coach. Her passion has led her to positions that are totally different from the IT field. These positions enabled growth as a professional life coach and do what she loves. How cool is that?

FREEDOM!

Friend #2 worked in the banking industry for over a decade. Please note that tenure means nothing. Both Friend #1 and Friend #2 had over a decade of experience and were still terminated. Well my dear Friend #2 decided to take time off to rest and focus on health and family. As it turned out, his health was in crisis status, and he didn’t even know it. The stress of his job was literally killing him, and he wasn’t aware.

Sometimes we push ourselves despite signals from our body because we don’t have time due to work. Being terminated saved his life. He has had time to focus on necessary health issues without worrying about his job. He also used his new freedom to visit family that he hadn’t seen in years. He used these short road trips to visit family to help occupy his time while focusing on his health. His termination saved his life.

Pursuit of Happiness

Friend #3 worked for a global corporation that has over 400,000 employees worldwide. She gave them eight years of her time. Friend #3 also owns her own business as a Plan B. Now that she has been terminated her Plan B is now her Plan A. She was described as the happiest person ever known to have been laid off. Eventually, she plans to return to a corporate position but only as a temporary employee. Her focus is to continue building her business and to spend quality time for a few months with her family. She now has the freedom from the stress of her job to build her dream.

What are the take-aways provided in my sharing? You ain’t exempt from being terminated! Start exploring what you want to do should you get chopped. Have something to occupy your time other than focusing on bills and finding a new job.

What will you do if you were laid off? Please share in the comment section.

Keep it simple and make it sassy!

About Bianca "Sassy HR Girl" Thompson

Bianca Michelle Thompson, Chicago native, has worked in the corporate arena within the Chicago Loop for over twenty-five years. The last thirteen years have been within the Human Resources profession. Her experiences within the Human Resources field and her personal life inspired her passion for training and coaching. Bianca has done extensive self-development, team-building and coaching coursework within the corporate and non-profit arenas and with Phoenix Arises Seminars.

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